As reported on Game Informer , Ubisoft have made dramatic changes to the Rainbow 6: Patriots development team. Lead designer, David Sears, has been replaced by Jean-Sebastien Decant, who was previously lead on Driver: San Francisco. Ubisoft Montreal have moved David on to another "major project for a major brand."

"Another opportunity arose that was a really good fit, and I am more than delighted to contribute to that," Sears said.

Narrative director Richard Rouse III, lead designer Philippe Therien, and animation director Brent George have also been removed from Ubisoft's game. The restructuring hints that the series is going in a different direction, but Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat says that's not the case: "We're definitely going on with Rainbow, evolving the vision that came from David's initial input," he said.

The proof of concept trailer we shared last year showed the series opting for a story-driven focus. Sears introduced the footage, explaining that the threat of a leak provided opportunity to “start a communication” with gamers.

Ubisoft released another trailer in December. It didn't feature any gameplay footage, but it also contained a bit of story, albeit one which featured explosions and death.

We'll have more on Rainbow 6 Patriots soon. It's due for release in 2013, and is currently available to pre-order .